Improvement in straw-cutters



mm. Hm AC Mbw Mm. It IJS No. 49,478.V

N. PETERSA www. Wlshh'en. D. C.

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MCMAHEI., OE HAMILTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR `'ro HIIiIsELEJANII Alanine` OOEY, OE SAME PLAGE. l Y; e*

IMPROVEMENT IN sTRAw-CUTTEESQ" Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,478, dated August 15,1865; x

. `Beit known that I,`JOHN MOMAHEL, of Hamilton, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio,

have invented anew and useful Improvement in Straw-,Cutters 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of refer ence marked thereonA Figure I represents a top view of my Inachine. Fig. II represents a front or end view of the machine with the knife and its crankwheels. Fig. 3 represents a right-hand side view of the machine with the mechanism `for actuating the feed-rolls. i

My invention relates to the feeding mechanism and to the arrangement and operationy of the cutter, the latter having a combined rotary and reciprocating motion. i.

` By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the box A is supported upon the frame B B.

` (l is the drivingshaft, provided with the bal-Ar alice-wheel D and bevel-gears E E.

F F are theshafts communicating motion from the driving or crank shaft C tothe knife Gr, the latter being pivoted at each end tothe crank-wheels H H, which are fastened to the front ends of the shafts F I1" and the rear ends of these are provided with the bevel-gears I I, which mesh with gears E E upon the drivingshaft C. These several shafts are journaled in suitable boxes attached to the box A.

J is the top feed-roll, and the lower one is of like construction, but not seen in the drawings. The feed-rolls` may be corrugated or ribbed, as represented in the drawings. The lower feedroll is provided with a ratchct-wheel, K, upon the end of its journal on the ri ght-hand side of the box A, and the pawl L, pivoted to the box, works in the ratchet-Wheel, as seen in the drawings. The feed-rolls are actuated throughthe shaft IV, which is provided with the double tappet M near its rear end, and to the same side of the box A is 'attached in a metal slot a bent lever, N, and `to the front end of the lever N the hook O is hinged in such relation to the ratchetwheel K as to cause it to revolve when the machine is in Operation. The top feed-roll, J, is journaled in metal slides a a, recessed in grooves in the `sides of the box A, and the roll .I is nelddown upon the materiaibeingeutby the springs b b, attached to` thefside pieces of the box A, and :restingand pressing upon the y `slides a a of the upper ,feed-roll, as seen in the"` drawings.` The lower feedLrollisjournaled at i the bottom of box A, so that about two-thirds of its diameter is below the bottoinof the box;`

A metal face-plate, B, is screwed tothe front Offb@ box A, and provided with the opening Q for the discharge of the strawwhichisloe.`

ing out. The face of this plate is nsh with the end of the box A, into which it is sunkor rabbeted, and is also tlushwith the faces of the l i.

crank-wheels H `H," to which the cutter is piv`-` oted at each end; The cutter is double-edged and cuts both ways, `as, will be hereinafter de-` A 1 i l" scribed.

near thebevel-gear,wll cause the bentleverNto rock a sufficient distaucefor the hook Oto catch but one tooth of the ratchet-wheel; but when e adjusted upon its shaft in the directiono'f the j knife the tappet, as it revolves, `will rock the` t lever N a sufficient distance for the hook O to l l revolve the ratchet-wheel and feed-roll to the extent of two teeth of the ratchet-wheel. I have constructed the double-edged knife of a plate of steel and secured it by screws to a rigid bar, as seen in the drawings, and its flush edges and face are brought close against the slotted faceplate P. The slot of the face-plate, which may be of cast-iron, is provided with square corners, upon which the material to be out rests as the knife severe it, and serves as a fixed blade of a pair of shears.

It will be observed that the knife is caused to have a reciprocating-and drawing motion as its ends are caused to revolve with the crankwheels, to which they areconnected.

e The material to be cut is placed in the box i.

F F', by means of the bevel-gears E Eand I '1, communicate motion to the crank-,wheels HH, to which the knife is attached,` as described.

It will be observed that the knife is caused to pass the slot of the face-plate twice at each revolution of the cranl -\vheels, and, being double-edged, gives two cuts during the same time. It will also be observed that by the use of the double tappetM the feed (which is effected atproperintervals'between the cutsoftheknife) is done at each half-revolution of the crankwheels, which carry the knife, the tappet bein gupon the same shaft that carries oneofth ese wheels. The upper feed'roll, J, is actuated by the revolutions ofthe lower feedroll,which has a positive motion. The upper feed-wheel, being pressed down by the springs b b, will be revolved bythe action of the lower one, and at ,the same time allowed to yield to the inequalities ofthe material being cut.

To Yavoid accident by turning the gearing backward, a pawl may bc attached to the box hand this 15th day of June, 1865.

A, so as to fall into teeth cut'intotheperpl ery of one of the wheels H.' f Y :1 Having fully described myimproVedstraw--' cutter, what I claim, and desire to securebyf,

Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the knife G with its double edge, in combination with the crankwhoels H H and slotted face-plate P, to operate in the manner described, for the purpose specified.Y

2. The combination of the feeding mechanism with the knife and crank-wheels, whereby the feeding and severing of the material are effeoted alternately and'both at each half-revolution ofthe shaft F', substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my JOHN MGMAHEL'.

In presence of- A. P. K. PEGK, GEO. C; BARNITZ. 

